Elven Weapons and Armour
Elven Weapons Throughout their existence, Elves have been masters of making and using weapons and arms. Their skill at forging weapons and armour surpasses the race of Humans, but of the race of Dwarves, were never outmatched. Even more renowned is the Elven skill at using their fine weapons, be it bow or blade. The purpose of this article is to explain just what type of weapons the Elves have used and what effect these weapons have had in past wars and battles. The article is not extensive, and covers only the most basic of Elven weapons. Sword The Elven sword is used frequently by standard Elf warriors and it comes in different forms. Naturally, any Elven blade is well crafted and of the higher quality, but when the use of steel weaponry came upon the Elves, a great change in the style of swordmaking and the sword itself came about. For one, the Elves developed different ways of making these blades, using the ingredient of steel as a vital part of the sword. The shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. The Elves, being great artists as well as craftsmen, were able to decorate their swords more skillfully. Thus, it was that they were able to win more battles as steel became common among Elves all over Arda, but better blades were to come. Bow The Elven bow is a marvel to behold. Crafted from many different woods, it takes on a variety of shapes. The first bows in use by the elves were short and did not have long range. As time went on, the Elves became masters of making and using the bow, developing the standard longbow and creating different variations of it. None were more skilled with the longbow than the Seaderk Elves, the wardens of Seaderk. Some who became true masters of this weapon won great renown as skilled marksmen in several wars, the most famous being Finn Treeleaf. The impact the bow was to have on both the Elves and their enemies was enormous. Being the most famous and most used by the Elves, the longbow is indeed a deadly weapon and even deadlier when wielded by a skilled Elf. The accounts of the deeds of Finn Treeleaf are enough proof that Elves certainly are masters of the bow. The Elven longbow has a far range but is truly deadly when shot in groups, thus having a greater chance to hit targets. As said, the Elven bow is crafted from different woods, each wood having different properties that allow the bow increased deadliness. Elven Armour The armour of the Elves has evolved throughout their days, but has always been well made and of the highest quality, the only rival to it being Dwarf-make armour. Not much is said regarding Elf armour only that it is bright and beautiful to look upon. For Orcs and other servants of Sauron, their armour is terrible to behold and often an advancing Elven army is frightening to a rival Orc army. However, much of Elven armour is derived from Dwarf armour, for the two races have great influence upon one another. Elves, developed different types of armour, a lot of which was inspired by the Dwarves. Standard Elf warrior was equipped with a mail undershirt and either lightly or heavily armoured with plate on top. The plate most likely consisted of steel or some other Elven metal. The Elven helm was used very extensively, and came in many shapes and forms, and usually covered most of the face and had a noseguard. Shields there were also used by the Elves and highly decorated in Elf-fashion, like their armour. Not much is described regarding shields, only that they were elaborate and protected the user well. Like most shields, they could be used as a weapon as well as a barrier.